Healthy Eating

Healthy eating starts by making informed food choices. Choosing a variety of nutrient-rich foods as the foundation of what you eat can help you live a longer, healthier life. Tufts experts keep you up to date on everything from shopping for the best meats, fish, fruits and vegetables to nutrition-smart food preparation and more.

Vitamins & Supplements

The best way to get the nutrients your body needs is by eating a balanced diet. But it's not always easy to meet your daily requirements of certain nutrients from food alone. Tufts experts separate the facts from the hype on supplements. You'll find unbiased information on vitamins like B-complex, C, D and E, supplements like omega-3 and lutein and essential minerals like magnesium and potassium and how they can protect or, in high doses, even harm your health.

Exercise & Mobility

The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Exercise can prevent weight gain, help you lose weight, reduce your risk for chronic diseases, even improve your mood. There are many ways for older adults to include physical activity and promote mobility. You'll discover in-depth ideas for protecting your mobility and independence, and receive the latest news on joint health, inflammation, and healthy bones.

Healthy Heart

A healthy heart is essential to remaining active and full of energy. Protecting your heart is easier than you might think. Taking steps such as limiting certain fats and including "good fats" that improve your cholesterol can reduce your risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. You'll learn about the most important steps you can take to ensure a healthy heart from the experts at Tufts.

Healthy Mind

Understanding how our brain functions is related to what we eat is an emerging area of fascinating scientific discovery. Learn how certain foods and nutrients affect cognition, and get the facts about brain-boosting foods such as green tea and dark chocolate so you can live the most mentally healthy lifestyle possible for years to come.

Healthy Aging

Feeling fit and well will help you get the most out of your everyday life as you age. Tufts experts will give you the knowledge to manage your health and offer tips on to increase your energy and maintain your independence. Stay on top of the latest health research to get the most out of life.

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Ask Tufts Experts April 2014 Issue

Story Tools

Q. What is the current thinking about the safety of microwaving food covered by plastic? I see vegetables wrapped in plastic or in plastic bags with directions to microwave right in the plastic. I thought plastic when heated released carcinogens?

A. Samantha Salazar Ordonez, a dietetic intern at Tufts’ Frances Stern Nutrition Center, replies: “The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes that substances used to make plastic wraps and containers can leach into food. But these plastics undergo a strict approval process by the FDA before they can be found safe for their intended use and subsequently marketed.

“In the FDA safety-approval process, both the toxicity of a particular chemical and the amount of the substance expected to migrate into the foods are examined. Internet-fueled claims have asserted that plastics contain dioxins, a group of contaminants that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has labeled as a ‘likely human carcinogen.’ These claims argue that plastic containers pose dangers to health by releasing carcinogens when heated in the microwave. There is no evidence, however, that plastic wraps or containers contain dioxins.

“In ‘microwave-safe’ containers, the migration levels and toxicological concerns are well within the margin of safety. Only containers and plastic wraps that pass this test are made to withstand high temperatures and permitted to display a microwave-safe icon or the words ‘microwave safe.’”

Here are some tips to keep in mind when using the microwave, Ordonez adds:

- Check the label. Use cookware labeled for safe microwave oven use. Things like dinner trays are formulated for one-time use only, and will say so on the packaging.- Avoid microwaving takeout or recycled containers. Most takeout containers, water bottles and containers that hold cream cheese, margarine and yogurt are not microwave-safe.- Vent the container. When using containers, leave the lid ajar or lift the edge of the cover. If using microwave-safe plastic wrap, wrap loosely so steam can escape. If microwaving food in a microwave-safe plastic bag, poke holes into the bag with a fork.- Do not allow plastic wrap to touch food. When plastic wrap touches food, it may melt. To avoid this from occurring, wrap food carefully or use alternatives such as plain white paper towels, microwave-safe wax paper, or kitchen parchment paper.- When in doubt, use a different container. If you cannot find a microwave-safe label or are uncomfortable using plastic in the microwave, you can always transfer the food to a glass or ceramic container labeled for microwave oven use.

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Current Issue: March 2015

How Good Is Glycemic Index as a Marker of a Heart-Healthy Diet?

FDA Rejects Aspartame-Ban Petitions

Despite a drumbeat of bad press for aspartame, the US Food and Drug Administration says theres no new credible scientific evidence to change the agencys position that the zero-calorie sweetener is safe for the general population. The FDA recently rejected two citizen petitions calling for an aspartame ban. The agency noted it had analyzed 195 reports of supposed aspartame-related side effects over a 10-year span and did not identify any causal link between aspartame consumption and the reported adverse events or an established mechanism that would explain how aspartame is associated with the reported adverse events. More

New GMO Potato Cuts Cancer-Linked Chemical

French-fries and potato-chip fans concerned about cancer risk from fried potatoes may have hope on the horizon. Idaho-based J.R. Simplot Co. has received USDA regulatory approval for a genetically modified potato that produces less acrylamide when fried. Thats the naturally occurring chemical linked to concerns about increased cancer risk from fried-potato consumption. The Innate potato, which comes in Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet and Atlantic varieties, also resists bruising, a potential money-saver for growers and processors. More

Dietitians Pick Top Trends

Trends to watch in nutrition-driven consumer choices this year will include growing popularity for seeds and nuts, green tea and ancient grains such as amaranth, quinoa, spelt and freekah, according to a survey of 500 registered dietitians. The survey, conducted for the journal Todays Dietitian, predicted that consumers will eat less red meat and continue to turn away from low-fat diets. Kale and coconut will remain popular based on their perceived health benefits (accurate for kale, less so for coconut), as will healthy choices like Greek yogurt and avocado. The dietitians also predicted consumers will keep trying gluten-free and wheat-free diets to lose weight (rather than out of genuine need, as in celiac-disease patients), despite a lack of evidence supporting such regimens for weight loss, while the so-called Paleo diet will gain in popularity. Also on the rise: misinformation about nutrition, fueled in part by the Internet. More

Poll: Consumers Want Restaurant Calorie Info

Most Americans support new rules requiring calorie counts on chain-restaurant menus and prepared foods in supermarkets, according to an Associated Press-Gfk poll. The long-awaited rules announced by the US Food and Drug Administration have generated opposition from some in the food industry. (See NewsBites, February.) But 56% in the poll supported calorie counts on fast-food menus, 54% at sit-down restaurants, and 52% on prepared grocery foods. Women and college-educated people were more likely to support the rules. More

Labeling Added Sugars Wouldnt Confuse Consumers

Would labeling added sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel confuse consumers, as industry opponents of the change have suggested? A new study of 500 consumers, published in the journal Obesity, rebuts those concerns: 63% of those surveyed said that including added sugar as a subset of total sugar on product labels would help them track and reduce their sugar intake. Only 18% responded that the change would be more confusing than helpful, giving reasons that suggest they were indifferent to the information rather than truly confused, and were likely among those who seldom look at nutrition labels anyway. More

Egg Consumption Projected at Eight-Year High

The incredible, edible egg is back ruling the roost, with US consumption expected to hit an eight-year highalmost back to the level of 2006, before concerns over cholesterol caused a slump. The American Egg Board reports that consumers have added 10 eggs per capita since 2011, cracking an estimated 257.9 eggs per person per year in 2014. Overall egg production was up 3% over 2013. More

Banned Supplements Dont Stay Off the Market

A new study, published in JAMA, reports that products sold as dietary supplements that have been recalled by the FDA often find their way back onto store shelves on average only a year later. The products were found to contain powerful but undisclosed prescription drugs, anabolic steroids and banned amphetamine-like compounds. But researchers were able to purchase 27 such recalled products with identical packaging; many others, they noted, return to the market with cosmetic changes to labels or branding. More

Not Enough Evidence for Routine Vitamin D Screening, Experts Say

An independent expert group that advises the government on evidence-based medicine says theres not enough evidence to recommend routine vitamin D screening for healthy people. Scientists for the US Preventive Services Task Force reviewed 17 studies of treating vitamin D deficiency in people without clinical symptoms. In recommendations published in Annals of Internal Medicine, the experts concluded that the association between vitamin D status and health outcomes is unclear, and the threshold for determining deficiency has not been firmly established. More